Chapter 19

"Anyone here?" Vincent hopelessly called to the nothingness.

He floated aimlessly. From time to time, he has been hearing Lucy call his name but he just can't pinpoint where her voice is coming from.

"Stop it, Vincent! You're hurting Lisanna!" again, he heard Lucy's voice. Her voice was full of panic, and Vincent doesn't understand. He's not even with Lisanna, so how can he possibly hurt her?

"V-Vincent, come back." This time, it was Lisanna's voice that he heard. She sounded weak. Her voice sounded so real, and Vincent yearned to get out of the place. If his friends are in danger, he wants to help.

The more he concentrated, the more he kept on seeing bits of what's happening. Flashes of the ruined building, magical orbs floating, and Fairy Tail wizards fighting. Amidst the flashes of reality, he finally saw Lucy, crying, hugging Natsu's arm tightly, as if stopping him from doing any fighting. And then, the view changed. He saw Lisanna, struggling because of the arms that seemed to belong to a beast, choked her.

Vincent felt anger, and he wants to know the person or thing that owns those hands that strangles the white-haired wizard. He looked closely, and he noticed the reflection in Lisanna's fearful eyes.

It was a person engulfed with darkness. Pitch black eyes with bloody red eyeballs. His hair was glinting gold. And he noticed something then...

At a close look, that person looked like him. It looked like Vincent.

"He looks like the evil version of me." it was all that Vincent managed to say, shocked as to how this is all happening.

----"It looks like it is struggling." Erza commented as she requipped to her Devil's Wing Armor.

The evil Vincent dropped Lisanna from his grasp. He's howling as if fighting something. He held his head and through the loud yowls, they can only guess that it is having a battle within itself.

Quickly, Jellal rescued the now unconscious Lisanna. He applied a healing magic as a form of first aid before leaving her with Lucy, instructing the celestial spirit wizard to look after her.

Retrieving the hostage, Erza ang Jellal started to restrain the half-demon. Swords and magic circles surround the evil Vincent who is still struggling by himself.

"Stop it!" Nero bellowed, as he tried to aid against the two wizards attacking Vincent. He ordered the magical orbs that previously fought with the others from the guild to only attack Erza and Jellal.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" an irritated Natsu called Nero, but the latter just ignored him. Furious, Natsu started to attack.

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu breathed fire, but the magical orbs that protected Nero did not even fazed.

Because Natsu hated to be ignored by his opponent more than anything, he is about to run and punch Nero directly. But just in time before he goes, Lucy called him.

"Natsu!" she called, "I have an idea on how to defeat the magical orbs protecting Nero!"

"Unison Raid!" she added.

Puzzled, Natsu looked at her, but upon realizing her idea, he almost looked like he will refuse. But in end, he nodded with a sigh. He really doesn't like it when someone meddles with his fights, but in this case, he has no choice.

Lucy held Natsu's hands tightly as she looked at him. Maybe because Lucy has realized her feelings long ago, that she is immune with holding Natsu's hand. But on the opposite, Natsu flinched a little, having a small blush on his cheeks that he hopes would be invisible for a moment.

"Urano Metria!"

"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"

The area around Nero is immediately engulfed with beautiful star-like lights. It caught Nero's attention, and it looked like he was actually admiring it. But then, a torrent of flames joined each of the stars that then exploded around him. The unison raid's magic was so powerful that everyone needed to cover their eyes. Because after the explosion, a blinding flash of light spread out.

The moment the brightness diminished, the area around Nero was unrecognizable, with debris everywhere. At the center of that chaos, lay an unconscious Nero. His dark blade, carelessly dropped meters from him.